"I am aware that one should always make room for renewal in politics. A democracy is the healthier for the turnover of the depth of talent there is in its community."
About Bob Brown
Bob Brown — Life and Legacy
Bob Brown is a prominent Australian politician and environmentalist, recognized for his significant contributions to the environmental movement and his role in founding the Australian Greens. His advocacy for climate action and social justice has made him a leading voice in Australian politics, particularly during his tenure as a senator. Brown's philosophy centers around the idea that environmental protection is intrinsically linked to human rights and freedom. He famously stated, 'The environment is not a separate entity,' highlighting the deep connection between humanity and nature. This perspective is foundational to his activism, as he believes that safeguarding the environment is essential for ensuring individual liberties and societal well-being. His quotes often reflect a call to action, urging people to recognize their role as custodians of the planet. For instance, when he asserts, 'We are the custodians of the planet,' he emphasizes the responsibility that comes with our existence on Earth. This notion challenges the prevailing attitudes of exploitation and encourages a more sustainable approach to living. Brown's work continues to resonate today, as the urgency of climate change and environmental degradation grows. His insights inspire a new generation of activists to advocate for a just and sustainable future, reminding us that the fight for freedom is also a fight for the planet.
Quote collection
Bob Brown quotes (page 1 of 2)
40 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Seeing the whales off James Price Point, mothers, babies, bull whales, seeing the count, going up into the thousands of these whales, the assurance that they will be ok with a mega port, mega ships and a huge factory ashore, is now clearly proven wrong."
"Behind every successful man there's a lot of unsuccessful years."
"Exxon, Coca-Cola, BHP Billiton and News Corporation have much more say in organising the global agenda than the planet's 5 billion mature-age voters without a ballot box."
"So far as we know, Earth is the only planet which supports life, and it is the only planet on which we can survive. Our bodies and our minds are fashioned by it. Our hearts resonate with it. There will be little joy for the human spirit if we destroy the natural fabric of Earth with nothing left to do but go shopping. When we imagine the world a century from now, when we look our great grandchildren in the eye and see them smiling back at us because they know we cared for them, we smile too!"
"We are all born bonded to nature; that's why we put depictions of flowers and forests, rather than bulldozers or log piles, on our walls."
"I didn't want to be a shock absorber; I wanted to deliver the shock."
"The future will either be green or not at all."
"Whereas our common past, out of Africa, saw a global diaspora of humankind, our common future depends on a global coming together and consensus, resulting in a more equitable distribution of the Earth's largesse. When Africa, which gave us the wealth of life, has that debt returned, the world will have come of age."
"Every time I get a bit worried about having made some second rate choices in life I go back and read about the Suffragettes or William Wilberforce, people who were "wrong" in their own time and think, ah well."
"There are better alternatives... Australia should be exporting its solar technology, not its uranium."
"The government's living in its own cloud cuckoo land and it's a cloud of greenhouse gases."
"Coffee in Brazil is always made fresh and, except at breakfast time, drunk jet black from demitasses first filled almost to the brim with the characteristic moist, soft coffee sugar of the country, which melts five times as fast as our hard granulated. For breakfast larger cups are used, and they're more than half filled with cream. This cafe con leite doesn't re-quire so much sugar as cafe preto-black coffee."
"Globally the Greens have arisen like a spontaneous combustion, a reaction to the narrow-minded state-backed exploitation of resources and wealth for a few at the expense of the many."
"I have seen such an immense change from the total repression and criminality of homosexuality in my lifetime. It does make me much more buoyant and optimistic about the future. If that change can occur in that time there's hope for many other changes."
"There is a spiritual side to our connection with the planet. And in this material world, that's anathema. It is somewhat worrying. What I say.. it makes life. It gives us fulfilment. It makes us whole human beings. And without it, we make mistakes. And, boy, are the leaders of the world making mistakes at the moment."
"With a small fraction of the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the Iraq war, the US and Australia could ensure every starving, sunken-eyed child on the planet could be well fed, have clean water and sanitation and a local school to go to."
"The Greens will continue to champion a fairer society rather than simply the economy and to champion the parliament rather than simply the stock exchange ."
"In securing the future of the planet, we secure happiness for ourselves. One of the aims of the Greens is to turn around the tide of pessimism amongst the young people of the world."
"We must have an expansionary vision, one that captures the imagination and diversity of the whole community, one which benefits a nation which has moved beyond the basics of literacy and numeracy and which wants to develop a learning culture."